An estimated 170 million people worldwide are reported to be infected with the Hepatitis C virus, the causative agent of hepatitis C. Seventy to eighty percent of HCV infections lead to chronic liver infection, which in turn may result in severe liver disease, including liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (see Saito I, et al., Hepatitis C virus infection is associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2003, 87:6547-6549).
Although the treatment outcome is variable among the six major HCV genotypes, only about one-half of all treated patients respond to therapy, suggesting that the virus encodes protein products that may directly or indirectly attenuate the antiviral action of interferon (IFN). IFNs are naturally produced in response to viral infection, and cellular exposure to IFN leads to the induced expression of a variety of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), many of which have an antiviral function. ISG action can limit virus replication at multiple points within the replicative cycle.
Compounds and methods for treating Hepatitis C have been disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/653,450, filed Jan. 16, 2007 (having corresponding International Application No. PCT/US2007/00996, filed Jan. 16, 2007), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/653,448, filed Jan. 16, 2007 (having corresponding International Application No. PCT/US2007/00923, filed Jan. 16, 2007), each of which are a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/331,180, filed Jan. 13, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/180,961, filed Jul. 14, 2005 (having corresponding International Application No. PCT/US2005/024881, filed Jul. 14, 2005), each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and for all purposes.
United States Patent Publication 2006/0235028 discloses certain aryl and heteroaryl compounds as 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I inhibitors.
All other documents referred to herein are incorporated by reference into the present application as though fully set forth herein.